


Roses and Rebounds and Redshirts

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-03-24
Packaged: 2017-12-06 08:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/733781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seemed tragic that the guy who was perfect for her believed he was perfect for someone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roses and Rebounds and Redshirts

**Author's Note:**

> Minor spoilers for episode 8x17, The Gathering. Lets just file this under trying and failing to fight the awesome these two characters could be. We could also file it under tertiary characters kick ass.

“Word on the street is that I'm dating a real live Barney Stinson.”

“Huh?”

“You're leaving a long line of women in your wake.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.” he shook his head.

“Shall I refresh your memory? There’s been Gina, Lisa, Shannon, Mindy, Leslie, and Gina again.”

“Do women really talk to each other about this? That’s exactly what Penelope said to me on the phone last night. She said that word for word. Men don’t do this kind of thing…not the men I know. We seriously don’t. If you think we do I'm telling you that we do not. By the way, Mindy came before Shannon.”

“I'm being serious.” She laughed as she punched his arm.

They were walking back from Rudy’s Bar, where March Madness was in full swing. Such and Such State got their asses handed to them by Whatchamacallit University. Gina wasn’t a big college basketball fan. She picked the teams based on colors or cute guys or awesome tattoos. 

It wasn’t her sport of choice or why she loved the bar. Rudy’s always had great drink specials and a rousing atmosphere. It was also about a mile away from her apartment. She could go in, have a few drinks, and have a nice walk home. She and Kevin actually went there a lot.

“I don’t think a couple of coffee dates or a trip to the movies with a woman constitutes dating. And Lisa really doesn’t count because she was totally using me as a rebound from a nasty breakup.”

“I know the feeling.” Gina mumbled.

“You are not a rebound.” Kevin’s tone was serious when he said it.

She just sighed. She wasn’t trying to be that woman; wasn’t trying to push a man she cared about into something he didn’t want. Kevin and Penelope were a thing. They had been a thing for nearly five years. And then suddenly they weren't anymore. 

To be the girlfriend, or whatever, that comes after the thing was no easy feat. Gina thought he didn’t want to get too serious. Yes, Kevin cared about her. But she doubted he loved her and as much as that made her sad sometimes, it also made her happy. If he jumped in with both feet she didn’t think it would be because she was so awesome. 

He just wanted happiness, missed it with the right girl, and tried to recapture it with another. She could wait. She didn't know how long but she could wait. It seemed tragic that the guy who was perfect for her believed he was perfect for someone else. Not that she had been pining away for Kevin while he was with Penelope. But he wasn’t anymore and now was her chance to see.

“If this isn’t what you want then…”

“Why do you do that all the time?” Gina asked as she stopped walking. She put her hands on Kevin’s face and really looked at him. “You're so cautious and careful sometimes and I don’t even know what to do with it. Everything I say is not some escape route, Kevin. I'm here because I want to be.”

“So you're just busting my balls about the Barney thing?”

“Oh no, the Barney thing is getting around.” She said. “You're getting legendary for all the wrong reasons bud.”

“Well hell, at least when people are talking about me nowadays it doesn’t involve swirlies and wedgies.”

Gina laughed, putting her arm around him again. They kept walking down the street. There were a million things she wanted to say but didn’t. She wanted this to work out but she couldn’t make Kevin not love Penelope anymore. She didn’t even think she wanted to do that.

“I promise you Gina that you're not Rose. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Rose who?”

“Remember when Derek was dating Rose and she approached Meredith and she just wanted to let Meredith know that she was with Derek now and it was tough because she didn’t want Meredith to despise her because Meredith and Derek were legend and Rose was just the new girl he was dating most likely until the legend could get back together. And Meredith assured her that they weren't legend and he was allowed to date whomever he wanted and she wasn’t going to stand in the way and Rose owed her no reverence or anything else.”

“Shitty analogy.” Gina shook her head.

“Why?”

“We all know Mer-Der is endgame. That poor girl was just set dressing to enhance the drama between the ship. She was a love triangle redshirt.”

“That’s what I'm saying.” Kevin said.

“What?”

“You're not Rose. Penelope and I are not Mer-Der; we’re not endgame. We had a relationship and it was a good one. It’s over now. Yes, it’s taking me time to get used to being friends. 

“We’ve both experienced jealousy and anger and maybe even regret…I don’t know. But we’re also moving on. What choice do we have? It’s not always easy, for any of us. I wish it were easier on you.”

“I'm a big girl, I can handle it. But the Rose analogy is still a bad one.”

“I thought it was good.”

“You’ve been drinking.” Gina replied.

“That’s true.” he nodded. “I'm also craving pizza.”

“I could eat.” She said.

“Good.”

He tightened his arm around her shoulder. Kevin kissed her temple as they kept walking. Maybe using analogies was a bad idea. Life wasn’t analogies, it was life. It was crazy, complicated, and sometimes out of his control. 

Kevin didn’t know if he could ever convince Gina that he didn’t want her to be Penelope 2.0. Maybe instead of using words, he would use deeds. This wasn’t the same kind of relationship that he was in before. He had changed and life had changed. That was a good thing. 

Kevin didn’t plan on making the same mistakes twice. He didn’t want to be Barney Stinson. He didn’t want Gina to be Rose. All he wanted was to be happy. Walking down the street from a dive bar heading to a questionable pizza place he felt good.

“No more analogies.” She said.

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“So we’ll get some pizza, another six-pack, and see where the night takes us.”

She looked at him and Kevin wore that goofy, knowing smile on his face. They both knew where the night was going to end. Pretty much from the beginning, Gina and Kevin were great in bed. She liked sex. She was adventurous and daring in the bedroom. Gina knew that was something Kevin liked about her. 

She didn’t do it to get him off; she did it because that’s who she was. And who she was falling in love with who he was. Pumping the brakes was something Gina did her entire life. It wasn’t that easy when something you wanted was right in your hands. Maybe Penelope and Kevin weren't endgame but that didn’t mean Gina and Kevin were.

“It was Gina again because I like Gina.” He said.

“What?” 

“It’s Gina again because I like Gina. I like Gina a lot.”

“I like Gina a lot too.” she said. “She’s smart as hell. She’s sexy and snarky and has a wicked sense of humor. She’s a catch.”

“She’s definitely a catch.” Kevin nodded.

***


End file.
